Forbes names Uganda among six countries to travel to in October

Forbes, one of the most-read business magazines in the world, has named Uganda among the six places people should consider visiting this month.

An endorsement from such a high-esteemed publication is remarkable for the East African nation, especially coming at a time when the tourism sector across the globe has been destabilized by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The article, which was penned by Gabriel Leigh, a seasoned travel writer who has also written for other notable media organizations like The New York Times and BBC Travel, lists Uganda alongside Panama, El Salvador, Pakistan, Ukraine, and the Bahamas.

Uganda reopened its airport to passenger flights on October 1, giving leeway to the tourism sector to resume operations. Uganda earned about Shs5.8 trillion from tourism in the 2018/2019 financial year, making the sector the country’s leading foreign currency earner for the fifth year in a row, according to government data.

The number of tourists in 2019 reached 1,505,669 up from 1,402,409 in 2017. In the FY2018/19, the tourism sector accounted for 7.7 percent of the national GDP and 6.7 percent of total national employment after creating 667,600 jobs.

Uganda reopened its national parks in August. To travel into the country, one has to have tested negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of arrival.

As he reopened borders and the airspace, President Museveni also directed that tourists don’t mix with local people.

Uganda has been ranked among countries that have performed well in fending off the virus. So far, the country has registered 93 deaths, 9701 cases and 6022 recoveries as per ministry of health data released on October 10.